A conventional automatic cash dispenser is composed of separate units such as a bill container, a bill conveying path and a bill outlet. Bills drawn out of the bill container, in response to a user's instruction, are conveyed by conveyor means (such as rollers and belts) and are delivered to the user. However, normal movement of the bills is often precluded because the bills, in passing from person to person, become creased or limp or bills with different strength papers are mixed. This frequently causes the jamming of bills at belts or guide rails. In prior art apparatus, e.g. as represented by Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 61-7991(1986), the place where the jam may occur in the process is outside the bill container.
Since the jamming of bills often occurs after the bills are drawn out of the bill container, the bills remain in the bill conveying path, on the main body side of the automatic cash dispenser. Although the operation of the machine can be restored by the operator, "jammed bills", which may be torn into pieces during removal, must be handled by persons trained and authorized for security. Therefore, if the machine is to be operated for a long time, for example, after the bank is closed, it is difficult to secure authorized operators; the downtime of the machine increases; and operating costs increase.
Heretofore, since only bank employees were operators of such machines, the machines could be operated if the above problems were ignored. In systems which operate on a 24 hour basis, the machines are often operated by a third party (e.g., by a security company) on a contract basis. Also, if a credit company, for instance, installs automatic cash dispensers in supermarkets and the like, the machines are operated by supermarket employees (including part-time employees) but the cash is handled by the employees of the security company.
However, if jammed bills occur in the main body of the machine outside of the bill container, responsible persons must be carefully controlled and excessive costs are unavoidable.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a method for automatic bill handling which enables machine recovery without the necessity to touch the bills when the jam occurs.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved bill container for use in the implementation of an automatic bill handling system.
A further object of this invention is to provide a bill container which includes an intelligent function.